Sana'a Workshop Charts a Plan to Close Yemen's Cybersecurity and AI Skills Gap

At a Sana'a workshop, universities pushed a national plan to upgrade cybersecurity and AI teaching, labs, and standards. The takeaway: move fast, set rules, train for jobs.

Sana'a Workshop Advances National Plan for Cybersecurity and AI Education

A workshop in Sana'a brought together academics from Yemeni universities to pressure-test a national project to upgrade how universities teach cybersecurity and artificial intelligence. Hosted by Al-Nasser University, the session focused on closing the skills gap, standardizing program requirements, and building the labs and training pathways needed to produce job-ready graduates.

The project is clear on outcomes: qualify faculty, reform curricula, stand up specialized infrastructure, and train students against recognized standards. The message from attendees was practical-move fast, set rules, and tie education to what protects the country's digital systems.

Why this matters

Leaders at the workshop called out a skills gap estimated at more than 70% between graduates and the skills needed to secure national platforms. Over 4,500 students graduate each year without hands-on capability, which turns into an economic burden and slows institutional progress. Weak labs make it hard to simulate modern attacks or build AI systems with real performance constraints. This project tackles those bottlenecks head-on.

What the project includes

Qualification programs for academic staff in cybersecurity and AI.
Curriculum reform and refreshed scientific content tied to clear learning outcomes.
Specialized infrastructure and labs (cyber ranges, SIEM, digital forensics, GPU-capable AI labs).
Progressive training pathways mapped to internationally recognized certifications.
Defined teaching requirements and assessment standards for both programs.
Structured student training with practical simulations and field placements.

Policy and governance commitments

According to the Higher Education Sector, an academic committee will be formed next week to review study plans submitted by universities. Plans will remain flexible, with periodic updates based on feedback and measurable outcomes. The sector also committed to issuing rules to launch AI and cybersecurity programs and to ensuring minimum lab and infrastructure standards. Faculty qualification and continuous training are prioritized to align skills with market needs.

What experts presented

Dr. Sharaf Al-Hamdi outlined the project's rationale within the global push for digital capability and sovereign control of platforms.
International quality expert Dr. Muhad Al-Sharjabi detailed a governance model for needs assessment: faculty skills, lab readiness, field training, graduate preparedness, and supply-demand alignment.
National expert Dr. Mohammed Al-Jawda proposed a capacity-building track for cybersecurity and digital forensics focused on three axes: curriculum reform, specialized labs, and faculty qualification.
National expert Dr. Mousa Ghurab presented an AI capability plan covering core algorithms used across sectors and practical steps to build functions and technology.

For role mapping and program structure, the NIST NICE Framework provides a solid reference for skills and work roles. For AI governance and risk, see the NIST AI Risk Management Framework.

Practical actions universities and ministries can take now

Map course outcomes to defined work roles and tasks (e.g., SOC analyst, incident responder, digital forensics, MLOps, model evaluation).
Phase lab upgrades: start virtual, then add physical gear-threat emulation, SIEM, forensics toolkits, secure code pipelines, GPU nodes for training and inference.
Adopt a certification-linked pathway (intro → intermediate → specialist), with capstones that use live data or realistic simulations.
Stand up faculty upskilling cycles every semester and pair with industry or public-sector residencies.
Require real assessments: blue/red team exercises, forensic reports, secure model deployment, incident post-mortems.
Publish a program scorecard each term: placement rate, time-to-first-job, lab utilization, pass rates on recognized certifications, partner satisfaction.

Outcome of the workshop

The workshop, attended by national experts, Al-Nasser University's leadership including Vice President Dr. Hussein Al-Bahji, and representatives from multiple universities, concluded with a clear recommendation: adopt the project as a national priority in AI and cybersecurity once finalized. The consensus centered on governance, shared standards, and a path to workforce readiness that institutions can implement and iterate.